Today the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 by a 93-6 vote. In addition to funding for the FAA for the next five years, it makes major changes to drone regulations.

The Senate vote will move the Act on to be signed by President Trump and will bring much needed stability to the agency and provide clear direction on some issues for the drone industry.

The henew FAA Reauthorization Act repeals Section 336 protections for recreational pilots, and will require recreational drone operators to take an aeronautical knowledge test and register their aircraft. There are new requirements for tracking and ID, privacy reporting, and enforcement. The “Preventing Emerging Threats Act” is also embedded in H.R. 302. Unmanned Traffic Management and drone integration into the NAS are addressed directly.